Transform your kitchen into a state-of-the-art work space with tips, equipment, and layout advice from top designersby Julie Scelfo

Take Your Tech in Small Doses

Sure, Miele offers "RemoteVision" technology so its refrigerators can be linked by Wi-Fi to a monitoring center that calls your cell phone in case of power loss. But do you need this? Probably not. Install enough technology to make your life easier, but don't make your kitchen so high-tech that managing your appliances takes time away from doing what you really care about.

Decorate to Last

Craig Kettles advises his clients never, ever to buy an appliance in a color—"unless it's a color like black or white."

"Colors are trendy, and they're not going to be as fresh five years from now," he says. Instead, Kettles deploys bright colors like canary yellow or aqua "just as an accent in the kitchen—something that's easy to change out."

If you are really intent on having a brightly colored kitchen, Kettles suggests installing painted kitchen cabinets. "These are going to need repainting eventually anyway," he points out.

To give your kitchen "soul and warmth," Kettles recommends displaying colored canisters, hanging artwork, and exhibiting objects you would otherwise normally find in a living room. "I always try to find a place to put a painting, or put a table lamp on the counter to bring interest," he says.

Think of Your Future

Does your future include children? Staying in your home as you age? If so, consider features informed by universal design principles, and make things as easy to operate as possible.

Be True to Yourself

GD Cucine's built-in countertop wine chiller with a hidden drain might be a dream come true, if you entertain constantly, but if you don't enjoy entertaining, don't waste your money. In fact, sometimes the worst thing you can do is to follow someone else's idea about what is a must-have trend, Zylewicz says.

For De Giulio, the kitchen of the future is one in which styles are more personal, fluid, and eclectic. There is less of a delineation between what in the past was termed "modern" or "traditional," with homeowners feeling empowered to select appliances, furnishings, and accoutrements that fit their individual tastes. A one-of-a-kind kitchen that reflects your tastes and lifestyle? Says De Giulio, "There's a lot of longevity to that idea."